Los Angeles daily herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1884-1890, 1887-12-04

was IOI ulOhJuS oil -.
absolute in San fiancis 8.
than the Car IS IN ., 81.
Petersburg. "From lumoer ousi'
ness in st. Louis, William l. oole-
man, in the summer OF 1884,, calle
to California, gold hunting. ne soon,
however, entered into trafilc' nrse a.
the tented City of Sacramento, mex. a'
PlacervlIle. and then at San Francisco
His early life was the school OF DUST
ness expe, ience-a hand-to-hand con-
fjict with fortune where lusty strength,
was Guided by wits newly whetted
each morning for the days encounter:
Dnring his career find no trace OF
ones ionable transactions, of business
aherrations. and those double deal
mos not to say fraudulent failures
and downright swindles. which
strain the early record of
so MANY who have since achieved Pc
cuniary success. On the contrary,
Mr.. Cnleman's life has been one OF
honorable example from the begin
ming. Brought into prominence by
superior skill and application, his
good name has ever been shining
mark for calumny, yet always one
from which the fiery darts OF evil
minded men fell harmless. No man
has done more to elevate the standa q
of commercial morals in California,
or to strengthen the commercial credit
of San Francisco. During the Eastern
financial panic of 1857, when CONT
dence was broken and Californla's
reputation particularly low, Mr'
Coleman, almost single-handed,
wrought in New York an entire re-
yulsion in feeling concerning Paciilc
coast credits. Ii there be one whom
it were safe to hold up as q model
Californian. this is the man. Else
where Mr.. Bancroft tell us that Mr..
Coleman, trough as thoroughly satur-
ated Californian as ever lived, was a
gentleman in the highest sense OF the
term. He was posse sed OF honesty
and integrity, which some who call
themselves gentlemen lack. He had
a bright clear intellect, trained and
FURNISHED, and well-stored mind, al
ways ready for Inequalities when
many so-called gentlemen deem su-
perfuous. To qualities OF mind which
did him honor were added kindness
of heart and genial courtesy"
Mr.. Coleman and his associates OF
the Vigilance Committee of 1856 met
with far more resolute and potent
opposition than had been encountered
in 1851 by the irregular enforcers OF
respect for property and life. The
Governor of the State, though
at first undecided, soon invoked
all his powers for the suppress
sion of the Vigilance Commit
tee, proceeding against them through
the judiciary and the police, calling
out the militia, and issuing procla-
nation declaring the county OF San
Francisco in state ofinsurrection and
finally, ON June 10th, appealing to
President Pierce for the interposltion
of the military and naval comman-
dants of the Federal forces on the Pa
citic coast. This request was refused
by Secretary Marcy, in a dispatch
based on the opinion OF Attorney
General Caleb Cushing, but the Gov
ernor did not withdraw his own pro-
clamation until November 3. OF
the course taken by Governor John
son at this extraordinary crisis, Mr..
Bancroft thinks that it demon
strates chs unfitncss for the
emergency, his weakness as a
ruler, his duplicity as politician, and
his di honesty as man. He flrst
tactily sanctions the actions of the
vigilance committee by counselling
with them as to the best method OF
removing the unhanged Williams, and
by advising the Sheriff to yield up
Casey and Cora then, at the instiSa-
ton of bloodlhirsty advi-ers, he ex
hausts himself in efforts to deluge the
streets OF San Francisco in the blood
of her best citiz ms. His proclama-
ton was ill-advised, illegal and filled
with false statements. Too cowardly
to oppose the Vi.ilance Committee
at the outset, too tyrannical to give it
his adhesion when its manifest object
was the re-establishmsnt OF popu ar
sovereignty, Gov. johnson secured the
friendship OF no good man on either
side, and was left in full enjoyment OF
the hearty, unanimous contempt OF
both Sides" OF the called Law
and Order party, which johnson and
his successor, Weller, protested to
represent, MIR. Bancroft does not hesi-
tate to say that. in 1856, and for three
years afterward, it was "a society Tor
the suppression OF virtue, an orgoniza-
ton for the promotion of murder"
The San Francisco Vigilance Com
mittee of 1856, like that OF 1851
hanged only four men and banished
only about thirty. We have seen how
Casey and Cora were dealt with the
other two victims of the extreme
penalty were named Hetherington and
Brace. The former, who had long en-
joyed immunity, was arrested and
tried by the Vigilants for the robbery
of one Southwick in the previous
year, for the shooting and robbing OF
a Mr.. Scharff, and, thirdly, for the
murder of j. B. West in June, 1855.
Hetherington, who, as his name
shows, was an Englishman, bore a Still
more Infamous character, having COM
mitted many crimes, among others
the murder of Dr. Baldwin in 1852,
and that of DR.. Randall on July "a,
1856. Within few moments after
perpetrating the latter homicide,
Hetherington was seized by detach-
ment of Vigilants and conveyed to
their headquarters. Within four days
he and Brace had been summary
tried, found guilty and sentenced to
be hanged. The sentence was carried
out on July 30, and it may be well to
recall the circumstances of the
execution, in order to show
how hopeless it would have
been for the regular authorities
to try to obstruct the action of the
committee: "Ascaffold was erected
on Davis street, between Sacramento
and Commercial. and force of vigi-
lants ION this occasion numbering
about 1900 was called out under arms
By 3 o'clock an immense concourse OF
spectators had assembled, filling the
streets, balconies, windows and roofs
for four or five squares around. In
fantru cnrnnanins were marched out